It has to be PERFECT
by What'dIMiss
Summary: A fic filled with complicated relationships/love triangle(s), brotherly stuff, fashion, and possibly some secrets. Features Mike and Mal, but also all sorts of different TD characters and (ahem) personalities. AU.Rated T. Don't know what else to rate it. Title and cover are subject to change. All sorts of character pairings, romantic or not.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wassup everyone?**

 **I wrote this in January as this whole fic with a weird plot that's way too complicated to describe in words. That's why I haven't posted this piece of it until now. I personally love it, but I want to see your reactions. It's somewhat a fantasy AU. It was the first fic I ever wrote with Mike and Mal that wasn't a total bust.**

 **THIS COULD STAY A ONE-SHOT. If you guys think this is enough, I won't upload anymore of it. Promise.**

 **Ok, time to enjoy!**

The tall hooded stranger walked into the tavern, looked the room once over, and sauntered to the far back table. Once he was settled, the other weary travelers present began to whisper about who the stranger was and where he came from.

The stranger was an interesting sight to behold. His long black hair, mostly covered by his ratty hood, fell over his left eye, and his dark eyes were clouded and had heavy bags underneath, like he had never slept a wink in his life

His outfit didn't leave much to the imagination, since it was practically shredded to pieces. What was left of it appeared to have once been a long-sleeved black tunic, dark blue pants, and black leather boots, as well as some kind of dark purple hooded cape that sort of wrapped around his torso, almost like a vest. His well-defined muscles could be seen underneath, although he was quite skinny. It was like he had wrestled with a grizzly bear for an hour… and won. Although his clothes were tattered, he had the look of someone who could take an entire army of men in his sleep. No bruises or cuts penetrated his perfectly natural tan skin.

"He looks like he just went through a hurricane," whispered the house musician to a waitress.

"I bet he found that hood on the side of the road. Those clothes, too. They are SO not his color."

"Pardon me, but is anyone in this godforsaken joint gonna take my order?" asked the stranger, his voice deep and gravelly, sending a hostile vibe through the air.

"Sorry, sir! Sorry!" apologized the waitress. She ran over to his table, her long blond hair flying through the air. "What'll it be?"

"A few whole pieces of clothing and a drink. Anyone know a decent tailor 'round here?" the man replied, his voice now more annoyed than hostile.

"O-Ok. Right away." She shuffled away, then realized she forgot to get the name for the order. "What's your name, sir?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis." He then smiled and chuckled evilly to himself, showing a gap in his front teeth.

"Sure." She walked away.

The whispers were once again abundant as another stranger walked in. He had a similar appearance to the last, except he was much tidier. His tunic was a soild aqua blue, he was wearing dark brown, almost black pants, and worn leather boots, though they appeared to be capped with metal, like the kind used for riding. His hood was dark blue, with a gold clasp keeping it in place, one that was lacking on the other man's. This one's hair was spiked up once he removed his hood. His eyes were full of excitement, but held a few clouds of fear.

He scanned the room until his eyes fell on the man who walked in before him, and smiled.

"Mal! There you are! I've been looking everywhere!" He rushed over to him and sat down. "Why'd you run off like that?

"Pipe down, Mike. There might be a guard in here." He put his finger to his lips. His twin nodded. "I need a tailor and fast."

"You know Brick is in town right now. Let's go to him. He made these hoods to near perfection, and he'll do it for free."

"Keyword 'near'."

"Whatever, he IS an apprentice. I won't take anything from anyone else. Let's hit the road."

They both left the tavern side by side, one in tatters, the other in high hopes. No one noticed they left until the waitress came back with Mal's drink. " I could've sworn there was someone here…. Oh well."

"Dakota! We got another fat bozo over here who needs attending." Dakota's boss yelled.

"Coming, Chris!"

* * *

"Hey Brick!" Mike waved happily to his long-time friend as he and Mal entered the tailor shop.

"Mike! What's up, soldier? Anything new?" Brick saluted Mike, who saluted back.

"Clothes for Mal, again."

"Good, I need to practice."

Brick had been a cadet in the Royal Guard, but he quit to pursue his dreams of becoming a fashion designer, despite his terrible sense of style, and earning him ridicule from some of his fellow cadets, including a girl named Jo, whom he had a secret crush on. But let's stay on topic and far away from run-on sentences.

Brick took Mal's shredded hood and shirt off, so he could properly measure him, and to assess the damage. He tried to be gentle, since he knew from experience that Mal could break him in half if he felt the need to. He wrote the measurements down in his notebook, then immediately started sketching ideas for Mal's new tunic and hooded cape.

"Would you care to explain how my work was torn to pieces in less than a week? You were only here on Tuesday. It's Friday. You can't expect me to be able to crank out replacements in a flash. I'm not Jen or Tom." Jen and Tom were the two designers he was apprenticed to. Mal shrugged.

Brick rolled his eyes. "Whatever, any ideas on materials, Mal? Colors?"

"Well, I liked the design and color of the cape, but it needs to be made of stronger fabric. It tore faster than the shirt did. Speaking of the shirt, it needs to be closer-fit. It tore easily, too. And the pants….. ugh. They need more stretch."

Brick scribbled it all down. "You cool with the black shirt, still?"

"Oh, yeah, it was fine, just make it stronger." Mal crossed his bare arms.

"Right. Do you want to help me pick the fabric?"

"Sure, if it will make it less haphazard." Mal followed Brick into the next room, leaving Mike to gaze around the store, fingering satin shirts and warm cloaks.

Brick and Mal looked through everything from woven cottons to knit wool, leather and denim. They finally settled on a black woven silk for the shirt that felt amazing when Mal stroked it, and a black and purple wool fabric interwoven with some sort of shiny thread that made it shimmer. Brick explained it was silver rayon. He cut the fabrics to the proper size, and sent the two twins on their way, with Mal wearing a generic canvas shirt that was a little too big, as well as a pair of too-tight black pants that were also too short. He tried belting the shirt, but it still looked atrocious.

"See you in a week, Brick! Thanks for helping with Mal!" Mike farewelled his friend as he exited the shop with his twin. Mal was mumbling and cursing as he waved off to Brick.

"Anytime, Mike!"

Brick then got to work, sitting down and beginning to sew. He had a feeling he would be repairing a canvas shirt when those two returned the next week.

 **Review, please! I need to know how wonderful/terrible this is.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ANOTHER SHORT AND VAGUE CHAPTER! I AM SO EVIL! MWAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Since two people told me they actually enjoyed the start of this story, I figured I'd post the next bit. Keyword 'bit'. Special thanks to Bloodylilcorpse and BaconBaka for reviewing.**

 **BEAR WITH ME ON FUTURE UPDATES. I have much going on currently, including other fics, life in general, a RP... you get it.**

 **Enjoy!**

"No, Mal, you can't go and burn that place down. You know we have to lay low." Mike argued with his twin as they walked back to their current place of residence.

"Why not? That waitress looked at me like I had a fatal disease. All whispery and what have you." Mal retorted as he pulled on the sleeve of his 'new' shirt. "I am never wearing canvas again after this. This stuff should never be used for clothing. Ever. And these pants are way too tight."

"They're just for a week, until Brick can finish your new stuff. You can borrow my cloak if you want to." Mike started to take it off and hand it to him, but Mal put his hand up. "No, I won't be caught dead in that shade of blue. It looks MUCH better on you.

"Ok, if you say so." Mike slid his arms through their appropriate holes in his cloak, then wrapped the ties around the center fastener and tied a bow.

He then looked up. "Oh, we're here."

They quickly climbed the wall of the building where they took up residence, and went through the window of their bedroom.

Their bedroom was a sight to behold, not seeming to match the attire either boy was donning at the time. Two large four-poster beds faced opposite each other, covered in sheets of the highest thread count, one in blues and whites, the other in purples and blacks. Two large jewel-encrusted chests lay at the foot of the beds, and each was open to reveal a few ultra-fancy pieces of clothing of the highest quality. There was one full-size mirror on the wall opposite the window, next to the glossy wooden door.

Both twins quickly turned their backs to each other and changed into their standard clothes: pristine white ruffled shirts, satin waistcoats, one blue and one scarlet(guess who wore which), black pants, and black shoes with gold and silver buckles. Mal wore a dark purple gem around his neck, which he tucked in so it wasn't visible. They each donned their fancy jackets, Mike's white and Mal's black, and each added their personal cuff links. Mike's were a rainbow of blue and turquoise jewels swirling in a pool of gold. Mal's were black and purple jewels in the same pattern and were in silver. Mike re-spiked his hair, and Mal brushed his down so his hair was mostly covering his left eye, but he could still see.

"Ok, let's get down there. You know how Noah gets when we're late like this."

 **Review! Feel free to yell at me. Or not.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Another chapter for you people to read! I hope you're happy with it, cause the next one will be awhile. :-) thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.**

"You are two minutes and thirty-seven point four seconds late, where the hell were you two?!" Noah asked, annoyed, as his two younger cousins finally walked into the dining hall of his small castle. He had on a white shirt with a deep red waistcoat, dark green pants, and a blue cape. His black boots were perfectly shiny, and his tan arms were crossed.

"Sorry, Noah. We, uhh…. Had stuff to do upstairs! Heheheheh!" Mike rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, we were TOTALLY upstairs the whole time. No need to worry." Mal assured Noah.

Noah rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just… don't be late again. When I agreed to take care of you punks, I expected you to be on time, ALL THE TIME. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's eat already, I'm starving." Mal said sarcastically as he sat down in his seat next to Noah, with Mike following suit.

Noah clenched his fist on top of the table. "You WOULD be starving if I hadn't taken you in, you ungrateful little….. Ugh." Noah shook his head, then gestured to the food. "Let's dig in, I don't want to have to go through the effort to complain to the chef."

The three young men ate in tense silence after that remark. The food was good, even though it was cold, and when they finished, Noah told them to meet him in his library in ten minutes. He wanted to discuss some things.

The two twins left to wander around the castle. Mike went to the kitchen.

"What's up, Geoff? How's it going?"

"Alright, dude, how's it hanging?" Geoff, who was the head chef, fistbumped Mike.

"Good. Dinner was great today, you really outdid yourself."

"Aw, thanks." Geoff sighed. " I wish Noah appreciated my cooking as much as you do. He always finds something wrong with it, and rides me about it until it's fixed."

"He just wants you to get better, that's all. Don't take it personally."

Geoff nodded. "Ok, I won't, promise."

"Yo, Geoff! Let's get going, man! We've got to meet Duncan at the bar!" yelled DJ, another cook who had one foot out the door.

"Coming, Deej!" Geoff un-tied his apron, donned his cowboy hat, and waved off to Mike as he walked out the back door. "See you tomorrow, Mike. Try not to go too crazy."

"See you, Geoff." Geoff left the premises.

Mike looked at the clock. "Time to get to the library."

Mal, meanwhile, had gone to the armory(yes, Noah has an armory. He just doesn't really use it) to verbally torture the currently dazed armor designer/smith, Cody.

"Hey, Cody. What's cooking in here? Oh, that's right, nothing, since you don't bother to burn something in the fireplace." Mal smirked.

Cody broke out of his daydream when he heard that all-too familiar voice. "Oh, h-hi, Mal. I was just, uh…" Cody grabbed a notebook from a table. "Drawing! Yeah, that's what I was doing. Heheh. Drawing…..stuff."

"Yeah, like I'll believe that." He walked over to a table with a few weapons laying on it. "Is that a sword?" He picked the weapon in question up by the blade. It had an ornate handle, red-green-blue jewels in a diagonal sequence, and a well-made grip that made dropping it in battle nearly impossible.

Mal felt the blade for a moment, careful to not touch the sharp edge, then bent it in half like it was made of dough. He freed his hand from it and let it clatter to the floor. "Pathetic."

"S-sorry, sir. I-I mean, Mal." Cody apologized while stuttering.

"It's not me you should be apologizing to, Cody."

"R-right."

Mal saw the clock on the wall and groaned. "Ugh, I have to leave you here in your pathetic hole, I'm supposed to meet Noah in the library."

"C-cool. Could you tell him I said hi?" Cody asked as he blushed furiously.

"Sure, whatever." Mal walked out of the armory, and Cody felt himself sigh in relief. Mal was in a passive-aggressive mood. Thank God. Cody went back to thinking about his employer, what he would say when he saw the sword Cody'd spent forever on now laying forlornly on the hard ground. It was supposed to be a gift...

 **Thanks for reading! Review if you have the time, energy, care or all of the above, and see you next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Update! Yay! Sorry it's been a while since this got updated. I've had a lot going on. This chapter is more Noah-centric.**

 **Special thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing!:)**

 **Don't expect the next update for a while.**

 **Enjoy!**

"If you're wondering why I called you two in here, you can stop now."

Noah was pacing as both twins entered the large library at the same time. It was multiple stories, taking up an entire tower of the castle, with floor to ceiling books, ladders, winding staircases, and tables with soft chairs for hours of reading if one wished.

"If it's about the guard in the infirmary, I can explain that one," defended Mal.

"It's not about Izzy, although I am mad about that, and slightly impressed. This is about...your past."

"Our past? What about it?" asked Mike.

"Nothing for you to be concerned about," Noah snapped back. "However, I know you two have been sneaking into town. And it needs to stop. If people found out who you really were…." He shook his head. "I don't think Eva can fend off a whole village."

"What is there to be concerned about? Why would people storm this place? It's a pretty small castle."

"Because…." Noah tried to argue, but gave it up. "Ugh. Just… don't do it again, or you're out of here." He turned on his heel, his cape flying behind him, and he walked away from the two twins, who looked at each other in confusion. They walked back out together, back up to their bedroom.

"Cody says hi!" Mal shouted over his shoulder at Noah as he walked away with Mike.

Neither twin saw Noah blush.

"Dealing with those two. I swear, it gives me a headache just thinking about it."

Noah was at the bar in the village, dressed down in plain clothing so he didn't look like nobility. He was with a few of his friends, including Owen, a chubby baker, Eva, one of his personal bodyguards but also a great person to have if in a bar fight, and a generally great girl to have around, if you don't make her angry, and Ezekiel, a farmer whom no one really liked, but always came to these kinds of things anyway.

"Ahh, I'm sure it's not that bad. They're both still teenagers, Noah. You just have to be patient," Owen figured. He had never met Noah's younger cousins, but he could tell by the way Noah described them that they were a bit of a handful. I mean, Noah's only in his early 20s.

"No, it IS that bad. Your girlfriend got creamed by Mal in five seconds yesterday." Eva disagreed. "And he bent a sword Cody spent a month on in half like it was putty."

"Izzy...got beat up by a teenager? Wow, I've underestimated him! Now I kinda wanna meet him… Or maybe I'm thinking about Mike…"

"You don't wanna meet Mal. Seriously. Mike's okay, but he goes along with everything Mal says. It's hard to trust someone like that." Noah reasoned.

"Anywho, how ARE things with this armorsmith you always talk about? He seems like a nice guy, based on what you say," asked Owen, always one to want to know what's going on in Noah's love life.

"F-fine, who wants to know? It's not like I actually wanna date him…. And I can't. He works for me, it would be too weird," Noah replied quickly, then sadly.

"Come on, Noah, you should go for it! It's not like he's seeing anybody else."

"I don't know…. What if people found out? I'd lose the respect people have for me, my parents would freak, and if Mike or Mal found out…." He put his head down on the table, letting his long hair fall around his head, not wanting to think about it.

Eva started to gently pat him on the back. "You shouldn't have to deal with this. Yes, you're their closest family, but that still doesn't mean you deserve to take on so much responsibility." She put his head upright, and gave him a small, rare smile.

"You should get out of there for a little while, have some fun!" Owen declared.

"I think I'd rather be holed up in my library for eternity." Noah retorted.

"Well, if you change your mind, we'll be here." Owen grabbed his smaller friend and hugged him until he couldn't breathe, then let go and walked out of the bar, waving as he exited.

"I gotta go, eh? Beth'll kill me if I'm not back soon." Ezekial finally spoke, then stood up and followed Owen out.

"So… Ready to head back, Eva?" Noah asked his guard and close friend.

"Yeah, this joint is depressing when that fat chunk of butter's not around. Let's go."

Noah laughed, and the two left.

 **Review! Love! Hate! Whatever!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm rolling in the updates today. :D**

 **Heres another chapter! Yay! This one focuses on Geoff, DJ and Duncan.**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

Geoff and DJ had met up with Duncan, a minor nobleman who was a good friend of theirs from way back, at the same bar Noah and company would occupy later that evening. Duncan had dressed down in a black shirt, green pants and black shoes. His black hair was short and the tips were dyed bright green.

"'Sup, dude! How's it hangin'?" Geoff asked as he wrapped an arm around Duncan.

"I've been better, Geoff." Duncan said half-heartedly.

"Aw, man. The fair lady Courtney giving you the death stare again? I always thought you two would make a great couple." Geoff frowned, concerned his bud was having relationship issues.

"Nah, she's just as stuck up as she always is. Trying to get me to stop comin out here, or she'll tell my father! Ha! Fat chance of that." Duncan crossed his arms, still looking tense.

"Well, glad you could make it, man. C'mon, let's get some good stuff to drink and turn that frown into a smile!" Geoff patted Duncan on the back and gestured so he followed him to the table where he and DJ were sitting.

"So, it's been awhile… how's work for that nerd-lord Noah going?" Duncan asked. "He still treating you like crap?"

Geoff shrugged. "The job pays well enough, man. But I feel bad for him sometimes. He has to deal with a lot for a young dude. I'm sometimes surprised he hasn't gone over the edge yet."

"Oh yeah, he's got those weirdo cousins of his he has to look after. What were their names again?" He always forgot.

"Mike and Mal. You can tell them apart pretty easily. Mal's the scary one." Geoff shivered. "He took Izzy out in no time the other day."

Duncan shuddered terribly when he heard Mal's name. He couldn't place why. He quickly recovered and continued to ask questions about Noah's two cousins. "So they're twins?"

"Yeah man, but they are totally different people. Mal styles his hair all down and Mike's spikes up. And Mike is nice, he compliments my food." Geoff smiled at the thought.

"Mal is really scary sometimes. He doesn't care about other people, he just cares about himself, and he's really smart and strong. Mike's really nice. He's super friendly and helpful." DJ gave a decent summary of their personalities.

"Uh, thanks for that, Deej. Maybe I'll stop by sometime, give the punks a once-over." Duncan said.

Geoff and DJ looked at each other nervously, then back at Duncan. "Yeah, now's not a good time for that." Geoff said.

"Why?"

"Uh… Stuff happening. Y'know, it's a pretty busy place, bro." Geoff nervously laughed.

Duncan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. How's his Nerdship doing otherwise?"

"I think he's doing okay. We don't talk much." DJ said. "Other than when he's mad at me for making something he doesn't like. He's the worst then."

"Huh. Always saw him as a 'cool under pressure' type of guy."

"He is." Geoff said reassuringly.

"Well, tell him I'll be heading there in the next week. Wanna meet this...Mal kid." Talking the name down made Duncan feel more secure somehow.

"He's not a kid. He's too scary to be a kid."

"Well, whatever he is, I wanna talk to him." Duncan said finally.

"Hey, your funeral, bro." Geoff put his hands up jokingly, but he sounded serious.

 **Any reviews are appreciated! See you next chapter!:)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Another chapter!** **Finally got around to writing it...**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing.:)**

 **Enjoy!**

"What do you think Noah was talking about when he said 'our past'?" asked Mike to his brother.

"I don't know, and I don't particularly care," Mal replied with nonchalance. "Whatever it is, we shouldn't have to worry about it. Now, come on, let's sneak back out tomorrow so I can burn that damn tavern to the ground."

Mike sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Ahhh, that felt good. Burning stuff really puts me in a good mood." They were walking away from town the next day, the smoke still billowing in the distance.

"Believe me, I know."

"So, any luck with that red-headed chick from town?" Mal was very prying in these matters, so he could ride Mike about it.

Mike blushed. "I don't know. We talk, but I don't think she likes me THAT way…"

Mal crossed his arms. "Yeah, who'd like you?

Mike pushed Mal a little. "People like me! It's YOU they can't stand to be around."

"Yeah, well, I don't care what other people think. They're all a bunch of moronic peons." Mal rolled his eyes.

"If that's your opinion, then that's your opinion."

"Hey, who's that outside our place?" Mal pointed up ahead. A horse could be seen with a rider dismounting. His green hair stood out in the darkness of the night.

Green hair. How was that familiar…

"We'd better go around so he doesn't see us." Mike suggested.

"Yeah, good idea." Mal lead them around to the other side and they climbed up to their bedroom.

They each got re-dressed quickly in their fancy clothing and relaxed a little.

"Mike! Mal! Come down here, there's someone here to see you both!" Noah called.

They sat up. "I wonder who it is. Probably that guy we saw earlier." Mike said.

"Uh-huh." Mal agreed.

"You okay, Mal? You've been kind of quiet since we got home."

"I'm fine, Mike. Now go downstairs, I'll catch up. I need to grab something."

"Ok…" Mike stood up and walked out of their bedroom.

Mal stood as well, and as soon as he heard Mike descending the stairs, he opened the chest at the foot of his bed and pulled out a knife. It was simple, a blade with its edge tinted with red and a black handle embedded with a line of green jewels. He slid it into its scabbard and hooked it to his belt. It was almost hidden against his black pants. Satisfied, he followed in Mike's path and descended, a cautious frown on his face.

"Ah, there you are, Mal. It feels like you took forever up there." Noah greeted him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Needed to get myself ready for our most lovely guest, whoever the hell they are." Mal shrugged it off.

"He's in there. Don't do anything too crazy." Noah pointed to the library.

"Whatever." Mal strode away into the library.

He stopped when he saw the visitor. He stared.

"Mal! There you are!" Mike ran up to him, then grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the stranger, who was standing and staring back. "This is Duncan."

"I can make my own introductions, thank you." Duncan said.

"Yeah, hands off. You know I don't like it." Mal started to pull away.

"Ok, geez." Mike let go of Mal's arms and backed away a little.

"So, you already know who I am. You're Mal?" Duncan asked.

"Did you not hear Mike, or are you just that stupid?" Mal laughed a little. It sent a chill through Duncan. "And no, I don't know who you are. How could I, I've never met you or seen you a day in my life."

"Hmm…" Duncan examined the two twins. "Are you sure? You look familiar. Maybe I'm just seeing double." He laughed to ease some of his fear.

"I don't recognize you either, Duncan…" Mike cut in.

"Shut it, Mike." Mal took a step towards Duncan, his hand itching to grab the knife and slice his throat for speaking that way to them. He continued to stare into Duncan's blue eyes. He was quite a bit taller, so he was more or less staring down at him. "You sure you've seen us before?"

Duncan thought for a second."No, not really. My memory's never been the greatest."

"Neither is mine." Mike added.

Mal rolled his eyes at Mike before addressing Duncan in a voice that could be only be described as hostile, and much lower than his normal voice. It didn't help he was whispering so Mike couldn't hear. "So, Duncan, this is what's going to happen. You're going to leave, and not come back. You will not tell of this conversation. If I see you around here again, l will take this knife and cut your throat so you can never speak to anyone about us. Understood?"

Duncan was now terrified, but he didn't want to show Mal that. "What knife? You don't have one of those, you're just a teenager." He whispered as well.

"Oh yeah? _Try me_."

Duncan gulped. He backed away. "Ok, I'm done here. They were right, you're too scary to be a kid. You're not even human." He walked swiftly out. "I am through with speaking to them. I'm so glad that's your problem you have to deal with, Noah."

Noah was a little concerned at what Mal must've said to make Duncan, one of the hardest-to-scare people this side of Wawanakwa, run away.

 **That's another chapter done! Please review, it's always appreciated! See you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi! Update!**

 **Because both reviewers last week suggested adding side plots, and I'm feeling inspired today, I decided to go back to Brick and add Tom and Jen.**

 **I promise there will be more of Duncan and the others in the next bit. I might even post it later today, who knows?**

 **I apologize if anyone is OOC. I've never written Tom or Jen before.**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse and Pokemon FTW for reviewing the last chapter, and for the suggestions.**

 **Enjoy!**

Another week passed. Mal and Mike had continued to go wherever they felt like to the discontent of Noah.

Meanwhile, Brick had been busy finishing up his repairs of Mal's clothing when someone new walked into the shop.

"Hi, I'm looking for a job." She had short, bright red hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a red dress.

Brick saluted briefly before getting back to work. "Sorry ma'am, but I am only an apprentice at this fine establishment. I don't think I can help you with employment, but I could call Jen and Tom."

"Sure, if it's ok with them." The girl laughed nervously.

"What's happening up in here?" " _Please_ tell me it's another rich guy wanting to buy our fashion." Jen and Tom strode in, looking so very fashionable. Jen looked at Brick once and wrinkled her nose in disguist. "Brick, ugh! Did you actually _wear_ that to work today?! Go change right now!"

"Yah, we can't have such awful and old fashion stinking up the place." Tom pointed to a room full of actually fashionable clothing.

Brick saluted his two masters, and addressed atom when he spoke. "Apologies, sir, I didn't realize my attire was inappropriate for the work environment. I will change immediately." He hurried off to change.

Jen and Tom now approached the girl. "Who are you? And _tell me_ where you got that dress! It's _gorgeous_ on you." Jen looked her once over. "But it could use some accessories."

"Do you know what this outfit needs to be _absolutely_ gorgeous? A fe-" Tom started.

"For the last time, fezzes are never going to happen."

"Sure they will! They're fabulous."

"Well, I don't think so, and the rest of this town doesn't think so either. You should let it go and focus on the real fashion. The color red- I can so see it being worn everywhere!"

"Um, I wanted to ask if you could give me a job. I used to work at the tavern, but it burnt down-" The girl began to explain.

"Oh, you _must_ work for us! You're going to help make red happen!" Jen grabbed her hand and shook it.

"Welcome, girl, you'll love it." Tom also shook her hand. "Now what do we call out newest fashionista?"

"My name's Zoey."

"No no no, you need a real name. Zoe. I'm calling you Zoe. Yas, you're going to be everywhere." Tom clapped his hands. "It'll be fabulous!"

"Reporting for duty again, sir and ma'am. I've changed into more appropriate attire." Brick saluted. He was now wearing a green waistcoat over a white shirt and black pants. His previous outfit had been too casual by Jen and Tom standards.

"No, no, no! It _has_ to be red. Go, come back when you're _really_ dressed correctly." Jen waved him off.

"My mistake, ma'am." Brick saluted and went back into the storeroom.

"Now, tell us about you, Zoe! We _must_ talk," Jen took her hand again and pulled her gently to a chair.

"Oh, ok! I can sew. I've seen my own clothes for a long time-"

"Oh, _tell me_ you didn't design that dress yourself?" Tom asked.

"Of course. I sewed it too."

Tom and Jen gaped. They were in the presence of, in their most humble opinions, fashion royalty. "Girl, you are _too much_!" Tom said.

Zoey blushed. "Thanks. It took me awhile to make."

"You're gonna be the talk of the whole country!"

Brick finally walked back in wearing a red waistcoat in place of his green one. He sat down where he had been working previously and continued.

"Oh, what are you working on?" Zoey asked, walking over to him and away from the overly-excited fashion designers.

"Some things for a friend, ma'am. He ripped it all last week and they're coming back again soon to retrieve them."

"They?"

"Oh, he and his brother, ma'am. His brother's a friend of mine."

"Ok. And call me Zoey. Ma'am's so formal." She stuck out her hand.

Brick accepted the handshake then saluted. "Brick McArthur. Welcome to the shop. I'm sure it will be a pleasant experience and we will work well together." He went back to sewing. He then finished off the end of the stitch with a knot and cut the string. He opened up the shirt and looked it over for any mistakes; this shirt was perfect. He smiled. "Mal's gonna love it," he said to himself.

"Is that the guy this stuff is for?" Zoey ran a hand over the cape piled up next to Brick.

"Indeed it is. He's very...peculiar about what he wears, but I do my best. I'm still learning," he explained, extending the shirt out so she could see.

"Wow. You did a good job with it. The seams are all even with no breaks, the hem is straight and not curvy." Zoey noted all the good things she saw, then spied an error. "This sleeve is a bit longer than the other."

"Really? I wouldn't have noticed. Do you think you could fix it for me? I have to get these ready to ship out, if you get it."

Zoey nodded. She got to work measuring, cutting, sewing. Within the hour she was done. And right on time, too.

 **And Zoey finally enters the story.**

 **Please review, and see you later!:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey hey hey, another update!**

 **i was thinking of waiting till the weekend to post this, but since today was my last day of school(woooo) here it is.**

 **Im hoping the next chapter will be a bit longer once I get to writing it.**

 **Thanks to Pokemon FTW and Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

The same day that week, Duncan was trying to relax. He'd gone out to get some air and clear his head, but it wasn't working. He was still thinking about what Mal had said. That he'd slit his throat if he said anything about him and Mike.

"Why would he say that? He must be faking it," Duncan reasoned with himself. "No one can possibly be that secretive, or that insanely scary."

And yet Mal was. The way his eye bore into Duncan like a pure ray of sun, burning fear into him. He couldn't possibly say anything to anyone without Mal finding out somehow. He had a feeling he would need to wait it out for a while, but make some people aware of the problem.

He got back to his place and mounted his horse riding again to Noah's castle. This time he took the back way so he could enter through the kitchen.

He knocked on the door, making sure no one else saw him.

Geoff answered, dressed in his apron and splattered with what looked and smelled like tomato sauce. "Duncan! My dude! Nice to see you, but what are you doing here, man?." He sounded concerned.

"I need to talk to you. And DJ if he's around. Also anyone else in the castle besides Noah and those two freak cousins of his."

""Woah dude. If you're planning a party, I want in."

"It's not a party, it's actually important."

Geoff looked hurt by that. "Fine, dude. I'll tell the peeps you're throwing a party."

"It's not a party!"

"If you tell them that, they won't show. Tell 'em it's a party, and presto: awesome turnout."

"Fair enough." Duncan could tell Geoff knew what he was talking about. "Don't tell the maniac I was here."

"Who, Mal?"

Duncan rolled his eyes. "Yes, him."

"He threaten you or something? He does that all the time."

"Yes, he did, and I don't want him knowing I was around. I need my throat intact for a while."

"Whatever you say, man." Geoff looked back into the kitchen then at Duncan. "Got to go, the sauce's gonna burn any second now. Why did Deej have to take the day off?" he asked himself out loud.

"See you. Oh, and have everyone meet near the old tavern. The one that burned down?"

"Got it, man. Now get out of here." Geoff lightly pushed him out of the doorway and closed it.

Duncan turned away from the door and got back on his horse, riding away, feeling just a tad bit better.

 **Please review! See you next time!:)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: A quick update! Next chapter is quite long, promise for real this time.**

 **Thanks for the reviews, Bloodylilcorpse and Pokemon FTW.**

 **Enjoy!**

Mal saw Duncan leave from out the bedroom window. He smirked. "I knew he'd come back. Coward."

"C'mon, Mal, we were going to pick up your stuff from Brick! If we don't go now, we'll be late by the time we get back!" Mike told him from a bit further in the room.

Mal rolled his eyes, then moved away from the windowsill to change into the dreadful canvas shirt and awful pants. He was more than relieved to be finally getting rid of them. He pulled his boots on and led the way out the window down to the ground. They began to walk side by side.

"So, question I've been meaning to ask you: What happened with Duncan? Did you scare him or something?" Mike asked part way into the trip.

Mal didn't look at Mike as he answered,"Um, yeah, he was digging his nose in places he shouldn't be. I made sure he didn't dig too deep."

"Ok…" Mike was silent again until, "So what was so important to keep secret that you made him freak out and say you weren't human?"

Mal took a deep breath. "Oh great, you heard that?"

Mike nodded. "It's concerning."

Mal waved it off causally. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't concern you at all."

Mike looked at him suspiciously, but he trusted Mal, so he shrugged. "Whatever you say."

Mal smiled to himself in triumph. Keeping Mike in the dark made it all the easier for him to concentrate on the Duncan issue.

They continued to walk in silence.

"I swear, if you two walk two steps further I will kick you out of this place for good!" They heard Noah yell at them from up the road. They stopped.

Mike sighed. "'Guess we'll have to go another day."

"Yeah, but it'd better be soon. I can't stand wearing this much longer." Mal tugged on the collar of the shirt.

Mike smiled. He slung his arm over Mal's shoulders, which wasn't hard since they're the same height. Mal didn't object as they walked back to see Noah death-glaring them as they entered the doorway.

"That's it. You two are grounded. I am not going to tolerate any more of this sneaking out." Noah's arms were crossed.

"But we didn't do anything-" Mike started to protest.

Mal put a hand up, silencing Mike. He stepped forward, away from his brother, and strode past Noah into the castle without a word, just smirking like he'd planned it the whole time.

 **Pease review! See you next time(hopefully that's tomorrow)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Yay, another update! I'm on a roll!:D and this is at ten chapters now! WHAT?! Didn't think it would be this when I started writing it in January. :0**

 **This is longer than some of the recent chapters(as promised). I'm not sure about when I'll post the next, I have yet to begin to write it.**

 **Thanks to Pokemon FTW and Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Darling, you _must_ wear that on your date. It's absolutely _stunning_ on you." Jen commented to a customer. It was a couple days later.

"Oh, thanks! I love the design." The customer commented, twirling around once in the yellow dress with the top half being bright red.

"Yas, Zoe here did a fantabulous job. She is the queen of all things fashionable and red!" Jen slung an arm around Zoey's shoulder, causing her to drop her sewing needle while hemming a pair of pants.

"Um, could you maybe move so I can keep working on this? Sorry if that's too much, but I need to finish." Zoey asked softly as she picked up the needle.

"Of course, I can't have you not doing your most fabulous work! Please!" Jen stepped away and went back to discussing the customer's outfit. "Lindsay, if you wear those shoes, I will have to charge you extra. No!"

"Aw, but I think Tyde will like them! That's my boyfriend."

"No, he will gag. Trust."

Lindsay nodded. "Ok Gemma."

"Uh, her name is Jen," Zoey corrected.

"Oh, sorry! I'm so bad with names." Lindsay facepalmed herself, then went into the dressing room to get into her regular clothing.

"Hey Brick, weren't those friends of yours supposed to show a few days ago?" Zoey called to Brick, who was in the other room.

"I believe so, Zoey, but they may have gotten into trouble. It's no surprise if they did." Brick replied back, walking in while holding his sketchpad.

"But shouldn't they at least try to be on time for things?"

"Mal's never one to care about that. Mike, on the other hand...he is." Brick shrugged. "He's just like that."

"Huh. So, wouldn't Mike convince Mal to get here on time?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Brick answered plainly, "I'd rather not discuss my good friend behind his back."

"You mean your friends..?"

"No, I mean friend. Mal and I are acquaintances."

"Ok…" Zoey went back to sewing.

Then, someone unfamiliar walked in. He was wearing a cowboy hat atop his long-ish blonde hair, a pink shirt that was half unbuttoned, and blue pants. "'Sup, everybody!"

"Geoff! Ugh, it's been too long!" Tom walked in from the other room, wearing a red shirt, black pants, and a fez. He was still convinced they were going to happen.

"Tom! My man! How's life?" They hugged.

"Totes fabulous since we discovered Zoe here." Tom gestured to Zoey, who blushed.

"Oh! I think I've heard about you. I'm Geoff," he introduced himself and offered Zoey a fistbump.

"I'm Zoey." She smiled. He seemed pretty friendly.

Geoff smiled back. "Love that name." He then turned back to Tom and Jen. "Can we walk and talk about somethin'? I think you've got enough cool peeps in here to hold down the fort." He nodded at Brick and Zoey.

"Yes, we must catch up! You two, don't move." Jen and Tom sashayed out after Geoff.

"Yes, ma'am!" Brick saluted.

"Sure, we can stay in here," Zoey assured. She went back to her sewing.

Two more guys walked in. They looked almost exactly alike. One looked uncomfortable in what he was wearing, and the other was smiling at him and encouraging him.

The smiling one looked familiar.

"Hey, Brick! We're back. Sorry if we made you wait too long. We got grounded." Mike explained, unaware that Zoey was there.

"Yeah, yeah, you can apologize all you want while I change out of this clothing from hell. Brick, you'd better not have screwed this up." Mal spoke like he'd make him regret it if he did.

"Of course not, Mal. Zoey here made sure of it." Brick smiled at Zoey.

"It was nothing, you're the one who designed it all and sewed it." Zoey down played her contributions.

"Whatever, I don't care who did what, I just need them now." Mal held his hand out.

Brick grabbed the various pieces of the outfit from where they lay. He handed them to Mal. Mal curtly went into the dressing room, but not before shedding the canvas shirt and dropping it on the floor. "That thing should be burned." He muttered.

Zoey couldn't help staring at Mal's abs. He didn't look muscular until he took off that shapeless piece of canvas.

"When a guy takes his shirt off, it doesn't give you the right to stare at him." Mal told her. She quickly turned her head away and went back to working.

Mike just stood and waited for Mal to come back out. He didn't think Zoey had seen him. "Um, hi, Zoey. We talked the other day?" He started.

Zoey looked back up and saw Mike standing there, a bit nervous. "Oh, yeah, I remember."

"Uh, I don't think I introduced myself before. I'm Mike."

"Ok... I'm Zoey, though I guess you know that already." So he was the one who didn't stand up to his brother, the one Brick refused to talk about.

"Heh, yeah." Mike didn't know what else to say.

Zoey slowly turned her head back to her work.

Mal walked back in looking devious in black and purple. The black shirt fit precariously over his frame, showing his muscles while providing room for movement. The pants fit perfectly, just so loose that they didn't cling to his thighs and fit inside his boots. The cape was beautiful, shimmering when the sunlight through a window hit it. He smirked. "Bravo, Brick you managed to actually impress me. He deadpanned, but you could tell in his expression he was pleased.

"You look amazing, Mal!" Mike commented.

"Thanks." Mal put a hand on his hip and looked in a nearby mirror.

"Yeah, you do…" Zoey muttered,

"What was that, Red? I couldn't hear you," Mal put a hand to his ear.

"Oh, nothing!"

"Uh huh, sure." Mal glanced at Mike, who didn't look too happy. He smirked, able to tell he was jealous.

"Hey, we should get going." Mike muttered.

"Agreed, I need to show this off to someone more deserving than a red-haired seamstress." Mal nodded to Brick. "Good job again, Brick."

Brick saluted. "Always a pleasure to make something for you two."

Mike and Mal left, waving as they did so.

Zoey rolled her eyes.

"What's with your face, Zoey? You look a bit unfocused."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm focused," Zoey focused extra hard on her sewing again, even though she was finished.

Brick raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything more.

 **Bring the SHIPS! Sorry, had to get that out.:3**

 **Please review! See you next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Update! Woo!**

 **Thanks to Pokemon FTW and Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

"I don't know, Geoff, I'm not sure I can make it. I have work that night-"

"C'mon, Codemeister! A bunch of us are going. We all have the day off, you'll be fine."

"I don't think Noah would want me to go."

"Man, you need to get out more. I hope you change your mind. Don't let him hold you down, compadre. It'll be a good time!"

Cody rubbed his arm. "I guess I could come, later."

"Awesome, little dude. See you then." And Geoff left the armory, allowing Cody to get back to work. Whatever it was.

He then went to the guard's quarters where Eva was hanging out by herself, working out. "Yo, Eva!"

"What is it, Geoff, can't you see I'm a bit busy?!" Eva was practicing hand to hand combat on a punching bag, a look of determination now turning into somewhat irrational anger.

"I just need like two seconds of your time, man. Duncan's throwing a party tomorrow, and you're invited."

Eva stopped pushing the bag and looked at Geoff in disbelief.

"It's just for a few hours tomorrow night. At the tavern that burned down?"

"Geoff, we both know that wasn't an accident."

"Yeah, but that's where Duncan wants the party people to hang for the night. You in?"

Eva crossed her arms and thought about it. "Fine. I've got no where else to be on my day off, and Izzy's still recovering."

"Oh yeah, how's she doing?"

"Could be much worse. Now, get out of my face before I bust yours up." Eva put her fist in her hand.

Geoff raised his hands in innocence and walked out. "See you then, Eva!"

Eva rolled her eyes before going back to her punching bag.

Geoff continued to invite his buds from around the castle to the 'party'.

s-s-s-s

"Hey, where's the food? I was told there would be food. It's great to be with you guys, but...I'm hungry." Owen spoke into the level buzz that had accumulated from various conversations happening at once.

It was the night after, at the burnt out tavern. Everyone from the castle, with the exception of Noah, Mal, and Mike, were present. A few others who were friends were there too, such as Owen. Ezekial had also made an appearance, even though no one invited him.

Duncan stood at the far end of the room, looking very serious sure of himself. Geoff was sitting to the side, looking chillaxed.

"Can I get everyone's attention over here?" Duncan called our into the crowd.

Nothing.

"Yo, party people, my man Duncan here wants to make a speech!" Geoff tried.

Everyone turned their heads.

"Thank you, Geoff."

"No problem, dude."

"Ok, so I asked you all here because most of you here are under the employment of Noah."

"What does he have to do with any of this?" Cody asked from somewhere in the back. He'd shown up in the past few minutes.

"It's not him I'm worried about. It's his cousin. I think his cousin poses a threat to everyone inside and outside the castle, and this town."

"What do you care, you don't live here?"

"I care because he threatened me, and I think he could potentially follow through with it."

"What did he threaten you with?"

"Who are we talking about?" asked Owen. DJ whispered shakily in his ear. "Ooooooh. Him."

"He threatened to cut my throat open if I didn't keep quiet about him and his brother."

"Woah dude, that's…. kind of major. 'Course most of us have gotten that threat over the years. You're not the first, my dude." Geoff patted Duncan on the shoulder.

"Wait, why aren't you saying his name?" asked Dakota, who'd been roped in somehow.

"I can't say I mentioned him if he finds out about this. Which he surely will." Duncan explained.

"Right, right. I'm gonna get out of here, I have an appointment I can't be late for."

"Everything's closed."

"Exactly." Dakota left.

"Back to the matter at hand…"

"We all get it, Duncan. You're a coward who wants to use us as a means of fighting someone we've all come to terms with. This whole thing is pointless. I'm out of here." Eva left as well. More folks began to meander out.

"Dude, you're losing your audience." Geoff pointed out.

"Wait, you guys! I knew him before all this."

Those who had yet to leave completely turned back around briefly before continuing to exit.

Duncan sighed in defeat.

"Guess it wasn't the right time. Sorry, dude." Geoff shrugged, and put his arm around Duncan's shoulder. "Let's go."

Duncan went with Geoff, leaving the tavern.

 **Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: update yaaay!**

 **Time for these two to have a moment together. Even if it's not the NoCo you may have hoped for...YET.**

 **Last chapter got this story to 500 views! Yay!:)**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse and Pokemon FTW for reviewing the last chapter.:)**

 **Enjoy!**

Noah sat reading a book in the library, not a care in the world.

He heard the door open and close. He sat up and saw who it was. It was Cody.

He stared.

Cody had cleaned himself up. He was sporting an oversized beige shirt over baggy pants he had tucked into his boots, hiding his slim figure. His hair was somewhat combed so it didn't look a mess. He did have some ash clinging to his rosy face. His blue eyes were prominent, hands behind his back. "Hello, sir."

"Oh-hello-Cody," Noah sputtered out before clearing his throat. "What brings you up here?"

"I wanted to give you this, sir." Cody pulled one hand in front of him to reveal a sword, the one that Mal had bent in half. "I apologize for the lateness, I can explain it-" he'd had to work day and night fixing the blade.

"You don't have to explain anything." Noah stood up, took the sword, and examined it carefully. There was a line in the blade where it had been folded. The handle was newly polished. Any gems that may have fallen out had been replaced. "It's well-wrought, no question."

"If you think so, sir."

"You've done well, Cody." Noah offered a small smile.

Cody smiled and laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, his face turning red. "It was nothing, sir."

"It's something. Thank you." Noah put the sword on a table and turned back to Cody. "Anything else?"

"Oh, uh, I don't think so, sir."

"Are you sure?" Noah could tell he had something more to say.

"Um….no." Cody didn't want to lie.

"So spit it out."

"Well-I was wondering, if-maybe you and I...could maybe…" Cody didn't meet his eyes.

"Yes."

"I- I didn't finish..."

"I don't care. Yes." Noah thought he knew what he was going to say.

Cody looked at him skeptically. "I was going to ask if I could talk to you about something Duncan said…"

Noah stopped. "Oh. What did he say?" The hopefulness in his voice was gone, replaced with indifference.

"He said some stuff about Mal, and it's...not unusual, but still kind of troubling. Do you get it?"

"Of course I get it. I know Mal's a bit..eccentric, but he's never seemed that dangerous to me. I wouldn't worry about it. Duncan's not very trustworthy anyway," Noah shrugged and went back to his book.

Cody stared. "Mal bent your sword in half," he muttered.

"Eva told me about that. Don't worry about it." Noah didn't look back at him.

"I won't, sir."

"Good."

Cody stood there a minute more, then walked back out.

When Noah heard the door close, he put his face to his hand. "Blew it," he muttered.

 **These two needed a chapter.**

 **Please review and see you next time!:)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Itty bitty update!**

 **Thanks to Bloodylilcorpse for reviewing the last chapter.:)**

 **Enjoy!**

"Stay away from her."

"What if I don't want to?"

"You don't even like her! And she only looked at you 'cause you took your shirt off."

"And thank God I did, I wouldn't have survived wearing that thing a minute longer. This is much better." Mal felt a hand over his new shirt. "And anyway, it's fun to see you so worked up over nothing. You've barely spoken to each other, how do you even know you love her?"

"What? I never said that. Did I say that?"

Mal laughed. "No."

"Ok, good." Mike breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't know, maybe I fall in love too quickly. But at least I feel something." He turned to look at Mal. "You, you don't feel anything like that about anyone."

Mal shrugged. "I don't expect to meet someone I might feel a sliver of emotion for by walking down the street. I don't believe in love at first sight. I hardly believe in love as an emotion. It makes people do the most moronic things, although it makes them so easy to manipulate. I wouldn't care to be under its influence when I have other more important things to worry about."

Mike laughed a bit. "You sound like Noah."

Mal rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, I sound _just_ like Noah."

"I have an idea. A deal of sorts. I try to find you someone, and you back off of Zoey."

"I never backed onto her. You're overreacting. Maybe she simply thinks you're boringly mundane, which you are."

Mike frowned at that. Then he smiled again. "Time to get to work."

Mal frowned and suddenly looked uncomfortable. He didn't have time for this, he had so many other things to worry about. But maybe it was worth it. Or not, he'd soon find out if his twin was any good at matchmaking. He suspected not.

 **Guess what? You guys get to help me out here! :D I am low on Mal ships at the moment that'll work without messing up the overall plot. If y'all wouldn't mind, please review or PM me some suggestions. They don't have to be realistic/make canonical sense. Guys, girls, I don't care. Tell me and I'll see which one might fit best in the story. :) maybe I'll have a prize or something. Or not. :3**

 **Also, please review and see you next time!:)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Yo! It's back! Update time!**

 **Serious thanks to Bloodlylilcorpse and Pokemon FTW for the suggestions and the reviews. I decided to go with Bloodylilcorpse's suggestion(woo, you get a gold star), although the Mike/Mal/Zoey love triangle is still alive, have no fear.**

 **Please enjoy!**

Zoey couldn't stop thinking about Mal. She wasn't sure why, she didn't even know him, only that he was hot and he didn't care what people thought. Which was kind of a turn-on.

She only had one person she could talk to about him, and she was still recovering from being caught in the tavern fire. Also, they weren't really friends. She would talk to Brick, but he was pretty opinionated when it came to the subject.

"Dakota, I don't know what to do. I don't know where he lives, I don't know anything about him."

"Zoey, you need to find out! You can't like a guy for his looks. Look at me and Sam."

"I know. I wish he'd come around by himself, instead of with Mike."

Unfortunately, Mike was trying, and failing, to find Mal someone. Maybe I'll tell you about his efforts in another chapter. But for now, this:

One day, Noah gave them news. "An old acquaintance is coming to visit. She doesn't take time off usually, so you two'd better behave. She wants to borrow some books to help get back at her boyfriend."

"Oh, wonderful. Another visitor. Because the last one turned out _so_ well." Mal rolled his eyes.

"That was your own fault, Mal. You scared him off." Noah paused for a moment before continuing. "Her name is Courtney. You've met her boyfriend."

"Oh, _really_?" Mal raised an eyebrow.

"Her boyfriend is Duncan."

Mal suddenly stopped being sarcastic. So, she was Duncan's girlfriend? What a perfect way to get back at him… "When will she get here?" he asked.

"She'll be here this afternoon."

"Perfect…"

Noah raised an eyebrow at Mal but didn't say anything.

Of course, Mal didn't expect anything to happen with Courtney. She must have low standards if Duncan was her boyfriend.

Mal and Mike were both told to look presentable. So wear their fancy clothing.

Courtney arrived looking ready to get down to business. She wore a dress that went to her elbows, with the top half grey and the skirt green. She was also wearing heeled boots that echoed through the hallway, and had a folder of papers tucked under her arm. "Hello, Noah. You said you could help me with my problem?"

"Always a pleasure, Courtney. He was here not too long ago. He was an absolute joy to have," Noah replied.

"I'm sure he was. That Neanderthal is going to pay for going behind my back."

"Well, I hope I can be of service." Noah led her to the library.

"Looks like your collection has grown some. I'm not easy to impress, but this is...impressive," she said, looking around.

Noah shrugged. "It's one of the few things I get enjoyment out of."

"Oh, I know. You've always been a huge nerd."

"Like you aren't."

Courtney rolled her eyes before changing the subject. "I heard you're taking care of your cousins."

"Yeah, so?"

"Could I maybe meet them? I've heard things about then that are a bit interesting, and I want to see if they're just rumors."

"Sure. Wait here." Noah went and called for Mike and Mal to come down.

Mal made his way down, straightening his red jacket as he did so. Mike followed behind him.

"This is them," Noah said as they walked in.

"Wow, you really did them up, didn't you?" Courtney said, looking over them with a keen eye.

Mike paled a bit at being so closely inspected. Mal looked indifferent. Oh, Duncan _definitely_ had low standards.

"So, which of you two is Mike?"

"That's me," Mike said, raising his hand slightly. "Hi."

Courtney nodded before looking at Mal. "So, you're Mal?"

"Wow, when did you pick _that_ up?" Mal rolled his eyes. He already didn't like her.

Courtney frowned. "I don't like your attitude."

"Whatever." Wow, was this chick uptight or what?

"Ugh, you remind me of Duncan."

"Do not compare me to Duncan."

"Oh, you know him?"

"Do I _know_ him?" Mal laughed. "I despise him."

Courtney smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"What's it to you?" Mal crossed his arms.

"It so happens that I also despise him at the moment. Maybe you could help me get back at him?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I work alone."

Mike and Noah were still there, of course. Mike looked a bit hurt when Mal said he worked alone. Noah just seemed interested in this interaction.

"How old are you, Mal?"

"What does that matter?"

"It doesn't. I'm just curious."

"I'm seventeen."

"Hm."

"What, is that so much of a shock?"

"You seem older. Maybe it's your voice. But what does it matter, you're helping me."

"Did you not hear me earlier? I'm not helping you with your petty revenge. What did he do to you, anyway?"

"He cheated on me."

"Still not convinced."

"How could you be so heartless to not help a girl get her boyfriend back for cheating!"

Mal shrugged.

"Rrrgh, fine. I'll deal with this by myself." Courtney turned her head and looked at Noah. "Could you show me those books I asked you about?"

"Follow me to paradise, I guess." Noah led Courtney to a different section of the library. Courtney glared back at Mal once before turning her head.

"What is up with him? He's so aggravating!" she asked Noah.

"Honey, I barely speak to either of them, and when I do, I'm usually yelling. Don't worry," Noah said sarcastically.

Courtney looked behind her again.

 **Please review, so you can tell me how bad my Courtney characterization is! See you next time!**


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